


of the courage in being the ones left behind to wait

by too_wise_to_woo_peaceably



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-15 11:40:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11805255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/too_wise_to_woo_peaceably/pseuds/too_wise_to_woo_peaceably
Summary: prompt: “The secret to happiness is freedom… and the secret to freedom is courage.” -Thucydides for thefulcrumcaptain.tumblr.comCassian doesn't much like standing still, especially when it involves separating members of Rogue One. Sometimes it takes courage to wait.





	of the courage in being the ones left behind to wait

In the end, the doors glide open much sooner than Cassian Andor anticipated.

(If he’d been thinking straight he might have realized that it technically didn’t matter how “soon” or “late” the doors were, his job was to be ready. but since he wasn’t thinking quite as linearly as he normally might, we’ll forgive him this oversight).

He wasn’t ready for the hubbub of base, but Cassian Andor had been a spy for a very long time-- he doesn’t show his discomfort. If others have noticed him and given him a salutation, he barely notices. Dried blood and sweat make his clothes stiff and uncomfortable. His pulse is racing as he makes his way down the corridor. Chagrined, he makes a decent effort to hear the clicking rhythm of his steps on the plasticrete (slow them down -- breath in through his nose -- in for 3 our for 5). It almost works.

The med droid spots him before the fully clears the door, “Major Andor, the medbay visitors’ hours are posted quite visibly. As you are not within their bounds, you must --” Cassian says nothing as he brushes past the irate droid. Leia had already told him the room number. His breath is coming too fast. (in for 3 out for 5 in for 3 out for 5).

The room is dim and silent. It’s his first thought, and for a moment his heart skips again. The silence is deafening. ( _hecan’thearhecan’thear_ ) A quiet _whir_ and a series of _beeps_ shatters the mounting panic and suddenly he can breath. Beeps and whirs mean machinery in use. And machinery in use means it has a purpose. And machinery's purpose is to help humans. Something is alive.

He steps in and closes the door, locking it for good measure. His eyes are still acclimating when they fall on her. She’s only just rising from a crouch from behind the loud machinery. He can’t help the small grin that blooms. “Were you trying to hide?”

Jyn Erso rolls her eyes as she finishes straightening -- he only just catches sight of her hand leaving the tucked away truncheon. If the situation weren’t so strained he might have smiled. “I hate that damn droid,” is what she murmurs in response, eyes drifting back on the the long-haired former Guardian lying on the bed in front of her, “got me kicked out twice already. I only just managed to sneak in again a half hour ago.”

Cassian only nods appreciatively. “What’s the latest?”

“An informant reported in after the initial distress call. She gave a good description of Chirrut and seemed to believe we would be able to extricate him with minimal damage.” He can see the stress and sleeplessness in her red rimmed eyes and glowering brow. “Bodhi’s the pilot for the extraction team -- they left about 10 hours ago and took Kaytoo with them. Kay’s latest mission analysis stats were somewhat promising -- it broke into the 60th percentile.” The half-smirk creeping up fades again as she turns back Baze. “They had to sedate him again,” her voice is grim.“He didn’t take being banned from the mission well.”

He a deep breath. He knows the feeling. It’s one of their own -- Rogue One -- and sometime that’s the problem with being such a tight, intertwined group. But he’s an officer, too, and a hypocrite occasionally. “We don’t always have the freedom to choose our mission, Jyn.”

She grimaces, eyes hard and dry, but nods her understanding, fists tight at her side. Closing her eyes tightly for a moment, she expels a breath. “Sometimes it takes more courage to wait.”


End file.
